United Once More
by VulporAnime
Summary: 10 years have passed since the war that was waged between the samurai and the capital had ended. 10 years since four of the seven gave their lives to restore peace to the people of Kama Village and the rest of the cities. In those 10 years, things have changed for better and for worse. Now who will rise up and defend the city? Will the samurai rise again? or will they fall?


**A/E: I will be updating chapters slowly, so don't be surprised if It takes a few weeks for chapter two to be published. It's not that I don't want to write, it's the lack of time. Hope you guys understand!**

* * *

_10 years have passed since the war that was waged between the samurai and the capital had ended. 10 years since four of the seven gave their lives to restore peace to the people of Kama Village and the rest of the cities. 10 years since the fifth samurai, Katsushiro, left wielding Kambei's sword along with the departure of Kambei and Shichiroji. In those 10 years, things have changed for better and for worse. In those 10 years the art of the samurai has disappeared almost completely and a new threat rises to challenge the peace... But who will be there to stop them this time?_

Kirara stood up from where she knelt and looked at the 4 graves of Kyuzou, Heihachi, Gorobei, and Kikuchiyo. All four of their swords still stood firm for the past 10 years. Even though the elements had buffeted them a bit, the swords still held true just as their wielders had during the war.

Kirara looked up at the sky. She knew there were at least 3 other samurai out there that could protect them once more, but she couldn't tell if that was even enough for the enemy that was to come.

* * *

Katsuhiro blinked the sleepiness from his eyes as he sat underneath a metal plate leaning out of the roof of someone's home. Katsuhiro yawned again before sighing.

Ever since the war against the capital had ended, Katsushiro had spent his days wandering and helping out people where he could along with fighting against anyone who oppressed the weak. Katsuhiro was currently residing in the city where Kirara had first met him many years ago.

He liked it there since it made him very nostalgic about the fellow samurai he had met back then along with the fact people constantly needed help in the city. A drop of water dripped down on Katsushiro's nose, which jolted him out of his daydream. He blinked before sighing again.

"Man, why does it have to rain? I...I always get so sleepy when it rains," said Katsushiro under his breathe as he unsheathed his sword. He looked down at it and for a split second he imagined all the people he had killed with that sword. He blinked at it once more before sheathing it, putting up his hood, and standing up.

"Better go make another run through the city," he said to himself as he made his way through the crowds of people. In the years after the war against the capital, the city itself seemed to have burst into life. Unlike the damp and musky city that Katsushiro had lived in years ago, the city was a changed place for the most part.

It still had its old areas where bandits and thieves lived, but for the most part the city had been completely revised with brand new metal plating on houses, walls, and streets along with an official police force that didn't oppress the poor and weak.

Finding work nowadays as a samurai were hard and the art was dying, but Katsushiro swore to himself that he would uphold the art and keep it alive as long as he lived.

As he made his way through the streets of the city and thought about the dying ways of the samurai, Katsushiro overheard conversations on something that was going on in the south. Something abnormal.

Upon hearing this, Kastsushiro casually stopped at a the nearest corner, stood there, and listened to what the men were talking about. All the while he was gripping his sword out of shear habit.

"So I heard there was another uprising in the south," said the first man.

"Really? I wonder how? I mean thanks to the guardians and Ayamaro, the world as become more peaceful."

"Yeah well I heard the uprising was instigated from some new force from the west that has come and declared war on the capital. I've heard that their beliefs really inspire people and lead them to revolt."

"Really?! That's insane! I mean what would do that to people?"

"Who knows? All I know is that the capital is going crazy and deploying troops to the South and the West to calm the riots and hold the line against the aggressive invaders."

"Wow... Now I kinda wish that the samurai were back you know? I mean after the war 10 years ago, I heard that samurai just...disappeared."

"Yeah well, we're going to need all the help we can get since these westerners are pretty strong technologically."

Katsushiro gritted his teeth as he stopped listening in on the conversation. He had to do something about these revolts and find out what was going on in the West. He knew not to get too involved in such large scale conflicts though since it wasn't his right to do that. I mean he was just a samurai, one of the few left alive that still roamed the cities.

"Well that decides it then," he said to himself, "I'm heading down South, but first I need to go get some equipment for the road... I think Masamune will have a good idea of where to go for equipment."

Katsushiro then let go of his sheath and headed towards the mechanic's shop. It was about a five minute walk from where Kastushiro was to the shop so he had time to gaze around the city. For being newly refurbished, the city seemed quite damp and gloomy today.

Along with the people talking about an upcoming war and the threat of invasion, things weren't exactly getting any brighter either.

After about 5 minutes, Katsushiro spotted the mechanic's small metal hut that was overflowing with small tools and machines. As he approached the hut, Katsuhiro thought of the big cyborg samurai, Kikuchiyo. It was a bitter sweet feeling that Katsushiro only felt when he was around places where the four who had died had been.

"Ahh, welcome back Katsu," said Masamune as Katsushiro slowly walked into the hut, "What brings you here on such a fine day?"

"Sarcastic as always, huh?" asked Katsushiro as he pulled back his hood and took a seat on an empty chair that didn't have some kind of machine on it, "Well I'm here asking if you could recommend any places where someone could equip for travel."

"Hmmm," said Masamune as he tapped on the head of the robot he was working on.

"Hey! Watch it!" said the head suddenly, making Katsushiro jump back in surprise.

"Oh don't mind Hotaka here," said Masamune who didn't seemed surprised at all, "He's just another passing robot that needs repairs."

"Damn right I do!" replied Hotaka as his metallic black head shook and the area where the eyes should've been glowed, "Now hurry the hell up!"

Katsushiro blinked and looked around the room for a body since Masamune was only working on the head. He then saw a black suit of armor in the corner. The suit was small and seemed very agile, even for a robot and strapped to its waist was a sword sheath.

Katsuhiro blinked at the armor before deciding to ignore it and ask Masamune for tips again.

"So as I was-"

"Hey kid," said Hotaka curiously, "You're samurai aren't you?"

"Y-yeah? Why do you want to know?"

"Tsk, nothing kid. Just run along on your journey or something."

"I'm not a kid you know, I was one of the seven during the war against the capital. I may not look it, but i'm in my late 20's now."

"Ohh so big and mighty," mocked Hotaka as his head shook in Masamune's lap," Just scram kid."

Katsushiro narrowed his eyebrows before reaching his hand down to his sword, but hesitated for a moment.

_Kambei wouldn't do this, _he thought to himself as he pulled his hand back from the sword's handle, _I'll just ignore him for the time being._

"I'll be going now Mas-"

"Now hold on kid," began Hotaka, "If you're a real Samurai. Then let's duke it out. I'd like a challenge."

"Hotaka, I haven't even finished fixing you from your last engagement with that old man, should you really be-"

"Quiet Masamune, that old geezer just got lucky, but this time I'm picking on the fresh meat. This chump may have been a part of the war 10 years ago, but he's still a kid compared to me."

"Oh really now?" asked Katsushiro as he smiled and recalled how he along with the other samurai had thought Kikuchiyo was 13 years old, "I accept your challenge then Hotaka. Tomorrow in front of the shop at noon"

"Tsk, you better have, It's not like I was even asking you. It was more of a command."

"Oh we'll see whose commanding who by tomorrow," said Katsushiro as he gave a weak smile before sitting down.

_I may have been off track with my main priority... but this Hotaka guy... I have a feeling he may hold some information on what's going on, being someone experienced._


End file.
